Nadi
19.11.2007 - 20.11.2007
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Obviously I haven't been very on the case with setting this travel blog up as my first entry comes to you from New Zealand, 2 weeks after I left home. I just thought I'd update everyone on the Fiji experience since I can finally find some reliable internet.
Nadi
I must say, leaving Denver was a strange experience...walking through the airport knowing that I wouldn't be returning for the next 8 months. Got on with things though and boarded my flight on time, and arrived in LA three hours later, only to find out that my connecting flight to Fiji had already left. The flight was scheduled to leave at 10:30 at night, but left 4 hours early, and I didn't even land until 7. I was put up in a hotel and luckily for me Jess and Max (Thanks guys!) took me out to see a little of LA before I caught a flight the next day. They even left me with a little pumpkin pie for the Thanksgiving spirit since I'd be in Fiji.
After a brutal 11 hour flight into Nadi, I arrived to a Fijian band playing ukuleles at the airport at 7 in the morning...pretty it's the only airport in the world providing that! My friend Matt was there to meet me and said the ukulele boys had been when he flew in at 2 that morning! We got a ride to our hostel and then it was a matter of figuring out what to do with ourselves.
Took a walk and yes sadly on my first day in Fiji I saw a McDonalds.
Nadi wasn't the nicest place we visited as everyone on the street hassled you to visit their shop and spend your money. We asked a random guy on the street where the market was and got talking to him for about a minute before he took a swift right directly into his shop...slick stuff, and we had to follow. They sat us down and did the "traditional welcome" with kava (a bit like muddy water) to drink and all. Then they said "have a look around...anything you buy helps support our village" (yeah right it does) They tied a sharkstooth necklace around my neck as a gift and asked for a donation, and when I offered 50 cents he took the sharkstooth off and we escaped without holes in our wallets. Even back at the hostel, we were constantly being sold expensive packages out the yasawa island chain.
After all the hassle we decided to arrange our own transport and make for a contact I had in Taveuni. After a little research we found out that we'd be in for a 5 hour bus and then a 17 hour ferry, but significantly cheaper than flying. The next ferry wouldn't be coming until Friday since the Wednesday one had been cancelled so we decided to make for a National Park in Latouka, a town about half an hour drive from Nadi.
Posted by joshtravel 02.12.2007 11:20 Archived in Fiji
